[Frameworks] FrameWorks Digest, Vol 24, Issue 28

[Matt Soar]

Dear Matt and list members,

Re Matt's question on experimental documentary, I'd like to point out
that there are also lots of newer experimental, documentary-oriented
films available online, and some slightly older works on DVD (eg via
Marsha Kinder's Labyrinth Project). These are generally interactive,
non-linear, and occasionally database-driven (ie without fixed paths).
(I understand there's a general prohibition on video on the list, so
please forgive the lapse.)

Full disclosure: I am codeveloper of the Korsakow System
<www.korsakow.org> an opensource application for creating
database-driven films. By far the best Korsakow filmmaker I know is
its inventor (and my collaborator) Florian Thalhofer. See for example
his recent film Planet Galata <www.planetgalata.com> about life on the
Galata Bridge in Istanbul. There are lots of other Korsakow films on
Florian's website <www.thalhofer.com>, plus the showcase/vernissage of
works on the Korsakow website itself <http://korsakow.org/vernissage>.

Speaking of film vs video, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my
colleague Monika Kin Gagnon's new-ish Korsakow film Archiving R69
<http://www.archivingr69.ca/>, an exercise in what she calls
'posthumous cinema': after her artist father Charles Gagnon died, she
came across an unfinished, 16mm experimental film of his, and, using
notes and rough cuts, created Archiving R69 as a way to 'unfinish' an
unfinishable film (my description). Monika and I are supporting the
ongoing development of Korsakow via our current research-creation
project <www.a-r-c.ca>, which is a collaboration between us, Florian,
Midi Onodera, and Phil Hoffman.

There are of course plenty of non-Korsakow, non-database-driven,
experimental docs to be found online. A very selective sampling:

Out My Window and One Millionth Tower by Kat Cizek at the NFB
<http://highrise.nfb.ca/>
The Whale Hunt by Jonathan Harris <http://thewhalehunt.org/>
Prison Valley by David Dufresne & Philippe Brault
<http://prisonvalley.arte.tv/?lang=en>
Blood Sugar by Sharon Daniel <http://vectorsjournal.org/issues/6/bloodsugar/>
Public Secrets by Sharon Daniel <http://vectors.usc.edu/issues/4/publicsecrets/>

Finally, here's an incomplete mediagraphy
<http://www.a-r-c.ca/annotated-media-works-and-producers/> from our
current research-creation project.

Best wishes,

Matt Soar

<www.about.me/soar>